South Gloucestershire Council and Partners

Overview

With a focus on One Public Estate and locality-based objectives, Laura was appointed to develop a strategy for optimising the public estate in Yate town centre, South Gloucestershire.

Collaborating with AWW architects, the strategy sought to leverage public assets as catalysts for regeneration and transformation while addressing future public service needs through a community hub framework.

Recognising the challenges facing the retail sector, the strategy also emphasised future-proofing by exploring new uses, such as urban living, within the shopping environment. Central to its development was active engagement with local public sector partners including the council, NHS organisations, police, and fire and rescue services.

Laura maintained communication with the town council and the adjoining shopping centre owners, whose support was critical to the strategy’s success. An opportunity to reconfigure 15,000 sq. m. of operational public estate was identified, including the creation of a new Public Services Hub. Laura assessed how key One Public Estate outcomes—such as new homes, jobs, service integration, capital receipts, cost savings, and inward investment— might be realised, evaluating their socio-economic impact.

The phased delivery of transformation and infrastructure, subject to securing investment funding. was explored. Overall, the strategy represented a foundation for revitalising Yate’s central area and the work later informed a comprehensive master-planning exercise for the whole of Yate town centre.